Apparatus for sealing glass bulbs.



A. J. LOEPSINGER. APPARATUSTOR SEALING GLASS BULBS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3.1912. RENEWED APR. 2. I917.

1,25,98, Patented May 15, 1917.

WITNESSES. IN'VEINTDR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT J. LOEiPSING-ER, OF CRANSTON, 'RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL FIRE EXTINGUISHIER COMPANY, OF NEW YOItK, N. Y., .A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

. APPARATUS FOR SEALING GLASS BULBS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 15, 1917.

Application filed July 3, 1912, Serial No. 707,473. Renewed April 2, 1917. Serial No. 159,327.

embody in their construction a frangible vessel having expansible. contents and which is caused to be opened by the expansive or explosive force of the contents of such frangible vessel induced by the action of heat. The preferred form offrangible vessel for use in such an automatic sprinkler consists of a glass bulb with an 7 elongated neck.

It is preferred to employ as the contents of such frangible vessel or glass bulb a liquid having gas in solution, as for example, an ammonia solutlon. In sealing a glass bulb containing such gas solution a greater or less quantity of the gas would, unless means were provided to prevent it, escape from the bulb under the action of the heat employed in sealing the bulb.

The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus by means of which bulbs containing a gas solution may be sealed without any material escape of the gas from the bulb during the process of sealing.

To that end the invention consists pr1- marily in the combination, with a suitable receptacle adapted to contain the bulb to be sealed, of means for maintaining pressure within said receptacle, and means for applying heat to the bulb within said receptacle to sealthe same.

The invention further consists in the combination, with a suitable receptacle adapted to contain thebulb to be sealed, of means for maintaining a predetermined pressure within said receptacle, and mea1 1s for applying heat to the bulb w1th1n said receptacle to seal the same.

The invention further consists in the combination, with a suitable receptacle adapted to contain the bulb to be sealed,

, of means for maintaining pressure within said receptacle, and means for moving a flame toward and from the bulb Within the receptacle.

The invention further consists in certain constructions and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of the apparatus partly in section, and Fig. 2 is a transverse section 1 approximately on the line ma2 of Fig. 1. The glass bulb 1 is provided with an elongated hollow neck 2 through which open neck the contents of the bulb has been previously introduced. The apparatus com prises a receptacle 4 having an opening in its upper wall through which the bulb may be placed in position within the receptacle. The opening referred to is tightly closed by the cover 5 which is held securely in place by a screw 6 working in a bracket 7 rigidly secured to the body of the receptacle. Suitably shaped holding devices 8, 8' are provided within the receptacle to receive and hold the bulb during the process of sealing. Communicating with the interior of the receptacle is a pipe 9 leading from a pump or compressed air reservoir, not shown, whereby the interior ofthe receptacle may be filled with air under pressure. The pipe 9 is provided with a valve 10 for controlling the admission of air to the receptacle. 11 is a relief valve which is to be set or adjusted at the pressure desired to be maintained within the receptacle and to prevent any greater pressure therein.

12 is a burner secured to the end of a pipe 13.. The pipe 13 extends through the end wall of the receptacle and through a stuffing box 14, so that said pipe and the burner 12 carried thereby may be moved toward and from the bulb to be sealed when the same is in a position .within the receptacle. The outer end of the pipe 13 is connected by a link15 to one end of a lever 16 pivoted at 17 to a bracket 18 secured to the wall of the receptacle. Preferably the bracket 18 is provided with projecting lugs 19 and 20 adapted to be engaged by the bosses 21, 22, respectively, formed on the lever to limit the inward and outward movements of the burner 12.

Communicating with the pipe 13 outside of the receptacle is a pipe 23 leading to" a supply of compressed air, and communicating with said pipe 23 is a pipe 24 leading to a gas supply whereby a mixture of gas and air is supplied to the pipe 13. The pipes 23 and 24 are to be connected with flexible pipes (not shown) in order to permit the to and from movements of the pipe 13 and the burner 12.

In the construction shown means are pro.- vided whereby the flow of the mixture of gas and air to the burner 12 is controlled or effected by the inward movements of the pipe 13, the construction being such that when the pipe 13 is moved inward a sufiicient quantity of the mixture will be allowed to flow to the burner 12, and when said pipe is moved outward the amount of mixture allowed to flow will be materially reduced.

In the'pipe 23 is a valve 25, and in the pipe 24 is a valve 26, The valve 25 is provided with an operating arm 27, and the valve 26 is provided with an operating arm 28, the outer ends of said arms being connected together by a link 29. The lever 16 is provided with an upward extension 30, and

a link 31 connects said extension 30 with thelink 29. With the parts in the position shown 1n Fig. 1, in which the burner is in its inner or operative position the valves 25 and 26 will be sufliciently open to furnish the requisite amount of air and gas for the desired flame at the burner. If desired the arms 27 and 28 may be so related to the valves 25 and 26 that said valves will be fully open when the arms are in the position shown.

W'hen now the lever 16 is turned to move the pipe 13 and burner 12 outward, the valves 25 and 26 will, through the connections above described, be closed to such an extent as to largely cut oil the supply of gas and air, and thus correspondingly reduce the size of the flame at the burner.

The operation of the apparatus above described will be readily understood. Assuming the burner 12 to be lighted and to be in its outer or withdrawn position, the cover of the receptacle is removed and the bulb to be sealed is placed in the holding device 8, the arrangement of said devices being such that the end of the neck of the bulb will be held substantially in line with the burner 12. The cover is then secured in place and the valve 10 is opened to admit compressed air into the receptacle, preferably at the pressure determined by the relief valve 11. The

lever 16 is then moved to bring the boss 21 thereon into engagement with the lug 19, thereby moving the burner 12 toward the neck of the bulb and into the position shown in Fig. 1, thereby bringing the flame into position to impinge upon the end of the neck of the bulb, which by the action of the heat will be fused and closed and the bulb thereof the boss 22 with the lug 20. The cover is then taken off, the bulb removed from the receptacle, another put in its place, and the operations above described repeated.

As above stated, the outward movement of the burner will be accompanied by a turning down of the flame which will remain turned down until another bulb has been placed in the receptacle and is ready to be operated upon, when the movement of the burner back to its operative position will be accompanied by a turning up of the flame, the turning u and down of the flame being thus automatlcally controlled or effected by the movements of the burner toward and from its operative position.

The receptacle 4 may be of any desired size to receive any desired number of bulbs, all of which may be sealed simultaneously, a separate burner being provided for each bulb to be sealed.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for sealing glass bulbs comprising a closed receptacle, means for maintaining pressure within said receptacle, and means for applying heat to a bulb within said receptacle to seal said bulb.

2. An apparatus for sealing glass bulbs comprising a closed receptacle provided with means for holding a bulb therein, means for maintaining pressure within said receptacle, and means for applying heat to said bulb to seal the same.

3. An apparatus for sealing glass bulbs comprising a closed receptacle, means for maintaining pressure within said receptacle, a burner within said receptacle, and means for moving said burner toward and from the bulb to be sealed.

4. An apparatus for sealing glass bulbs comprising a receptacle, a burner located within said receptacle, means for supplying gas to said burner, and means for moving said burner toward and from the bulb to be sealed.

5. An apparatus for sealing glass bulbs comprising a receptacle, a burner located within said receptacle, means for supplying gas to said burner, means for regulating the quantity of gas supplied to said burner, and

'means for moving said burner toward and from the bulb to be sealed.

6. An apparatus for sealing glass bulbs comprising a receptacle, a burner located within-said receptacle, means for supplying gas to said burner, means for moving said burner toward and from the bulb to be sealed, and means controlled by the movement of said burner for regulating the quantity of gas to be supplied thereto.

7. An apparatus for sealing glass bulbs comprising a receptacle, a pipe leading to the interior of said receptacle and provlded with a burner, means for supplying gas to said burner, means for moving said pipe and burner toward and from the bulb to be sealed, and means controlled by the movement of said burner for regulating the quantity of gas to be supplied thereto.

8. An apparatus for sealing glass bulbs comprising a receptacle, a movable pipe leading to the interior of said receptacle and provided with a burner, a pipe communicating with said movable pipe outside of the receptacle for supplying gas thereto, means for moving said movable pipe and burner toward and from the bulb to be sealed, and means controlled by the movement of said burner for regulating the quantity of gas to be supplied thereto.

9. An apparatus for sealing glass bulbs, comprising a receptacle, a movable pipe leading to the'interior of said receptacle and provided with a burner, a pipe communicating with said movable pipe outside of the receptacle for supplying gas thereto, a valvein said outside pipe forv regulating the quantity of gas to be supplied to said burner, a lever pivoted outside of said receptacle, and connections from said lever to said movable pipe and to said valve.

ALBERT J. LOEPSI'NGER.

Witnesses: W. H. THURSTON,

J. H. TH'U'RSTON. 

